This is a photograph of the young Jerome Pomerantz. I believe that Jerome and his family were originally from Pinsk, Belarus. I'm not sure if he was born in Pinsk and emigrated to the US or at what age. There is some question as to whether he had siblings or other relatives and where they may have lived. What I do know is he made his living as a photographer, had his own studio on Fulton Avenue in Brooklyn and married a woman named Sarah Ratnoff. Jerome and Sarah had five children: Joseph, Mae, Ethel, Molly and Oscar.
The man to the right was once rumored to be Jerome. Although there are a number of theories as to who this man may be, I do not know anyone who can positively identify him. The photo was discovered after Irving died. It was amongst some remembrances of his widow Molly Pomerantz. Initially, I was told this was Jerome's graduation picture taken after completing a degree in dentistry. Later, this story was discounted because Jerome was a photographer not a dentist and a new theory emerged: this was just a model who'd posed in a promotional shot for Jerome's studio. The photo is mounted on a mat which does bear a Pomerantz logo, however, this Pomerantz Studio was located at 500 South Street in Philadelphia.
There are variations on each of these theories, but I think a side by side comparison tells us this isn't Jerome. However, I do see a resemblance that suggests they are related. In addition, the resemblance between this man and Jeff Lerner, (one of Jerome's Great Grandson's) is so close you'd think this was a photo of Jeff in a period costume. The family resemblance, the Pomerantz logo, and this second picture of the same man, (with unidentified woman) are all strong evidence he is some member of Jerome's family. I plan to research his identity as time allows and in the meantime, I've found a few sites that may prove useful and will list them below:
Pomerantz.Org This is a cool site with a lot of members who have been very receptive to my questions. I have already learned there many large and old Pomerantz families in Philadelphia. I'm sure when I figure out who this guy is...it will be through this site and it's members.
Pinsk History Also a very interesting site. You can get a sense of what life may have been like for the people who lived here at various times in history. It will also tell you something about why many people, especially the Jews, left this place.
This is a formal portrait of Jerome Pomerantz and his wife Sarah Ratnoff-Pomerantz on February 22, 1925. I'm not sure who wrote the date on this picture, but it makes me wonder if it was something significant like their wedding anniversary.